The Thaumineer

The thaumineer is a wizard who blends magic with the mechanical, girding themselves for battle with devices and augmentations that fuse their arcane talent with technological innovation. Clad in heavy armour from which vents, pipes and crackling lightning coils protrude forth, thaumineers view the world from behind smoked glass and eldritch visual displays that peel back the layers of reality to reveal underlying laws and truths. Magic and technology are both branches of the same science and, in the hands of a talented thaumineer, they can reach further together than either discipline could manage alone.

Playstyle: The thaumineer is a variant of the wizard class, and largely plays in a very similar way. However, thaumineers give up a bit of raw spellcasting power in return for better defences and some more flexibility through their thaumaturgical artifice, making timing an even more important aspect for this class than for a normal wizard.

Choosing the Arcanifex Servant talent makes the class more complex, as you now have a second character that you act with each turn.

Ability Scores: Thaumineering is a complex and precise art that demands a high Intelligence to master; arcane engineers also tend to be more resilient and physical than other wizards, with Constitution often rated highly.

Thaumineers gain a +2 class bonus to Constitution or Intelligence, as long as it isn't the same ability you increase with your +2 racial bonus.

The thaumineer class uses the wizard from the core rules as its basis. Unless otherwise stated, the thaumineer uses all the same rules for gear, abilities and spells as a normal wizard does. When making a thaumineer character, keep in mind that the specific differences with the wizard class are:

You may not choose any of the normal wizard class talents apart from Wizard's Familiar. Instead, you gain access to the new talents detailed below.

You have one fewer of your highest level spells per day than a wizard of your level would normally have (so only 4 1st level spells per day at level 1, for example).

You do not normally have access to certain standard wizard spells, and gain access to several new thaumineer spells, as detailed below.

As a thaumineer, your arcanomechanical tools and devices give you an edge, but you lack the raw spellcasting power of a focused wizard.

All thaumineers have the Arcane Armour, Cantrips, Cyclic Spells and Ritual Magic class features.Arcane Armour: Your base AC while wearing heavy armour is now 13, and you no longer suffer an attack penalty while wearing it. You may begin with heavy armour at 1st level if you wish.Champion Feat: Once per battle as a quick action, gain Resistance 14 to any elemental damage type until the beginning of your next turn. You may not choose Resistance (Physical) with this ability.

Talents

Choose three of the following class talents. Talents marked as Artifice often come as a package of thaumineering enhancements to your arcane armour; if you are not in armour, you cannot make use of them.

Arcanifex Servant

Special: Unlike most talents, Arcanifex Servant takes up two Thaumineer talent slots.You have acquired or created an arcanifex to serve you, a hulking arcanomechanical construct that is well-suited to the role of bodyguard and protector. See the Arcanifex rules at the end of this section for more information on this talent and its associated feats.

Arcane Power-Plant (Artifice)

The augmentations to your arcane armour now include:Arcane Capacitors: Whenever you miss with an attack from a cyclic or daily spell, gain a +1 bonus to your next attack roll with a spell during this battle.Arcane Turbines: Whenever the Escalation Die shows an even number, add 1 to the damage of each die rolled for your spells' damage.Adventurer Feat: Once per day, you may increase the range of one of your spells that can target nearby enemies to allow far away targets as well.Champion Feat: When you critically hit with one of your spells that has multiple targets, increase the number of targets by 1.Epic Feat: Once per day, when you are confused, hampered or weakened, then as a free action you may remove the condition and become dazed until the end of your next turn.

Eldritch Perception Overlay (Artifice)

The augmentations to your arcane armour include:Phase-Sight: As a move action, you may look at a single target and learn whether they have any Resistances and Vulnerabilities, and to what elements. This does not tell you the exact strength of these traits, just that they exist.Oscillating Polarity Inverter: Once per day when you cast a spell, reduce the Resistance to the elemental damage type of that spell by 4 for any targets hit.Adventurer Feat: When you use Phase-Sight on an enemy, you learn the exact strength of their Resistances.Champion Feat: You may use the Oscillating Polarity Inverter twice per day.Epic Feat: You may use the Oscillating Polarity Inverter three times per day.

Elemental Core Exhaust (Artifice)

When you choose this talent, pick acid, fire or lightning. Once per battle as a move action, when the Escalation Die shows an even number, you may deal three times your level in the chosen type of damage to all engaged enemies and pop them free.Adventurer Feat: After using the core exhaust, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and PD until the beginning of your next turn.Champion Feat: Once per battle, when you critically hit with a spell, you may recharge the elemental core exhaust.

Lightning Blades

You may choose for your melee attacks to deal lightning damage instead of their normal damage type; a melee hit with a natural even attack roll also causes the target to become dazed until the beginning of your next turn. Additionally, you may treat any spell that deals lightning damage as a close-quarters spell as long as at least one of its targets is engaged with you.Champion Feat: Once per battle, when you choose to deal lightning damage with a melee attack using this talent, increase the type of damage dice of the weapon by one step. If the attack hits, the enemy is also stunned until the beginning of your next turn.

Overcharged Arcane Condenser (Artifice)

Once per day, you may cast a spell as a quick action instead of a standard action. Your choice of what to do with your standard action is unaffected (so you may, for example, use it to cast another spell).

Storm Reactor (Artifice)

The augmentations to your arcane armour include:Charge Lattice: Once per battle, you may deal lightning damage with one of your spells instead of the elemental damage that it normally inflicts. You may add the Escalation Die's current rating to the damage inflicted.Storm Coils: Once per turn, when your natural attack roll with a spell that hits is 18+, you may deal twice your level in lightning damage to a single nearby enemy.Adventurer Feat: You gain Resistance (Lightning) 12.Champion Feat: Whenever you suffer lightning damage, all of your spells cast until the beginning of your next turn deal an additional amount of ongoing lightning damage equal to your Intelligence modifier.Epic Feat: Once per day, when you miss with a spell that deals lightning damage, you may reroll the attack roll once.

Thaumic Containment Mines

You know the trick to creating thaumic containment mines, complex arcanomechanical devices that hold a spell's energy in thrall until a hapless foe triggers it. Once per day, you may imbue one of your spells that targets at least one enemy into a mine; while imbued, you cannot use that spell. The mine may then be placed and activated; it will clamp onto surfaces other than the floor if desired. Detonation is caused by very close proximity, whereupon the mine fires off the spell at the character triggering it as if you had cast the spell from the mine's position, using your attack bonus and any other of your characteristics that might affect it. Once the mine has detonated, you may use the spell again unless it is a daily spell or it is a cyclic spell and the Escalation Die is not even; in either of those cases, the spell is discharged just as if you had cast it normally.Adventurer Feat: As a quick action, you can detonate a thaumic mine to unleash its contained spell at the nearest valid target (friend or foe) within the spell's normal range, using the mine as its origin point.Champion Feat: You may place thaumic mines twice per day.

Volatile Caustics (Artifice)

The augmentations to your arcane armour include:Alchemechanical Vitriol: Once per battle, you may inflict acid damage with one of your spells instead of the elemental damage that it normally inflicts. If the Escalation Die is 2+, then saves against any ongoing acid damage inflicted by the spell are now hard (16+).Filtration Scrubber: You gain Resistance (Acid) 12 and Resistance (Poison) 12.Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, when one of your spells hits a target that is already suffering from ongoing acid damage, increase the ongoing damage by twice your level.Champion Feat: You may use Alchemechanical Vitriol twice per day. Additionally, once per battle when you suffer acid or poison damage you gain temporary hit points equal to (3 x your level) plus your Con modifier.Epic Feat: When you critically hit with a spell that deals acid damage, the target also becomes weakened (save ends).

Wizard's Familiar

You possess a familiar as per the Wizard's Familiar talent. The only difference is that thaumineers are more likely to have a small mechanical homunculus or clockwork creature as their familiar, though this is by no means universal.

Arcanifex Servant Rules

The rules for an arcanifex servant are similar to those of a ranger's animal companion, following the same framework for actions except that they always act after the thaumineer. Healing works differently; arcanifexes cannot be healed by conventional spells or means, although they do share your recoveries if you use one to heal yourself while next to your servant. Outside of combat, you can spend your recoveries freely to use them on the arcanifex, representing the thaumaturgical energy, time and effort you are putting into doing a quick repair job. As with rangers who pick an animal companion, you get two additional recoveries to help you with this burden.

However, if an arcanifex 'dies', you cannot simply summon a new one. Depending on how severe the damage was, you might be able to repair the previous arcanifex and bring it back to working order, but should the wreckage be unrecoverable then it will take you days – if not weeks – with the right resources to build a new one.

As with animal companions, your arcanifex is always 1 level below you. An arcanifex may be normal-sized but even then tends towards heavy bulk; arcanifexes are commonly significantly larger than a human being.

Upgrades

Pick one of the following upgrades to your arcanifex.Alchemechanical Corrosives: The arcanifex also deals ongoing acid damage equal to twice your level on a natural attack roll of 18+.Arcane Earthing Sigils: Once per battle, when damaged by a spell or supernatural source of damage, the arcanifex may immediately use one of your recoveries to heal itself.Chain-Tethered Harpoons: One per battle, the arcanifex can use its attack at range against a nearby enemy; as well as dealing damage as normal, if it hits a target that is large-sized or smaller, the target is pulled into engagement with it. That enemy is stuck (save ends).Clockwork Weaponry Launchers: The arcanifex can attack at range as well as in melee, targeting even far away enemies.Elemental Focus Crystals: Choose acid, cold, fire or lightning when you pick this upgrade. Once per battle, when you are adjacent to your arcanifex, gain +1 to an attack roll with a spell that deals the chosen type of elemental damage.Guardian Protocols: As long as the arcanifex is adjacent to you, you gain a +1 bonus to AC and PD.Lightning Projectors: Melee attack rolls that hit the arcanifex with a natural odd roll suffer lightning damage equal to twice your level.Metal Hulk: Once per battle, the arcanifex may automatically disengage from an enemy without rolling.Necromech Talons: Whenever the arcanifex reduces an enemy to 0 hit points, you and it both gain temporary hit points equal to three times your level.Overcharged Energy Coil: Once per day the arcanifex may take an additional move action during your turn.Probabilities Calcualtion Engine: Once per battle, the arcanifex may reroll a missed attack.Smog-Belching Engines: The arcanifex gains a +1 bonus to AC and PD against ranged attacks.Spell Resonator: Once per day you may cast a daily or cyclic spell using the arcanifex as the point of origin rather than yourself.

As with animal companions, you don't have to take arcanifex feats in a progressive sequence.Adventurer Feat: Add the Escalation Die to your arcanifex's attack rolls.Adventurer Feat: Once per battle, the arcanifex can deal acid, cold, fire or lightning damage with an attack rather than physical damage.Adventurer Feat: Choose an additional upgrade for your arcanifex.Champion Feat: Your arcanifex no longer suffers additional damage from critical hits.Champion Feat: As long as your arcanifex is engaging an enemy who is engaging you, you may pop free of that enemy with a quick action.Champion Feat: Choose an additional upgrade for your arcanifex.Epic Feat: The first time your arcanifex becomes staggered during a battle, you may recharge a single expended cyclic or daily spell.Epic Feat: Choose an additional upgrade for your arcanifex.

As a thaumineer, you have forsaken some of the broader magical knowledge and greater arcane power of the wizard in return for the rewards of the discipline of arcane engineering. Due to this different focus, thaumineers do not have easy access to all the usual wizard spells but possess knowledge of a number of incantations that are less common amongst other arcane practitioners.

The following wizard spells are not normally available to you as a thaumineer. This does not mean that you cannot ever access these spells, but that they are not part of the usual path of arcane learning that thaumineers follow and they do not come naturally to you. Getting access to the spells on this list will probably require a certain amount of in-game effort, looking for arcanists willing to divulge such knowledge to you – and will likely come at a price of some sort.

Basically, getting access to all the spells a good excuse for some roleplay and complications.

The following wizard spells are available to you normally as a thaumineer; they are not normally available for regular wizards, and it should be as difficult for a wizard to gain access to these thaumineer spells as for a thaumineer to gain access to the missing wizard spells.

A caustic cloud envelops your foes in deadly acid.Ranged spellDailyTarget: 1d4 nearby enemies in a groupAttack: Intelligence + Level vs PDHit: 5d6 acid damage and 5 ongoing acid damageMiss: Half damage and no ongoing damage5th level spell 8d6 and 10 ongoing acid damage7th level spell 12d6 and 15 ongoing acid damage9th level spell 17d6 and 20 ongoing acid damageSpecial - Sustained: The cloud lingers for a number of turns equal to your Constitution modifier (minimum 1). It is assumed that anyone hit by the initial cloud is easily able to move out of it on their turn, even if engaged with enemies, as 13th Age's combat paradigm avoids identifying the exact position of combatants. However, the caster can choose to place the cloud somewhere of tactical worth, like over the entrance to a corridor, if the targets are in an appropriate area for that to be possible. Anyone moving through such a cloud-blocked area during their own turns suffers the ongoing acid damage of the spell as if they had been hit.

Rust & Ruin

The tools of your enemies corrode and rust; metal warps at your command.Ranged spellDailyTarget: 1 nearby or far away enemyAttack: Intelligence + Level vs MDHit: Target is weakened (save ends)Miss: Target is dazed (save ends)5th level spell 1d2 enemies7th level spell 1d3 enemies9th level spell 1d3+1 enemiesAdventurer Feat: On a critical hit, one weapon the target is carrying is destroyed outright (magic items may make a normal save or become temporarily unusable, but are repaired after a short rest).Champion Feat: All targets become Vulnerable (Physical) until the end of your next turn.Epic Feat: On a natural attack roll of 18+ with the spell, targets also become hampered until the end of your next turn.

Steel Skin

Your very skin takes on the sheen of steel.Close-quarters spellRecharge 16+ after battleEffect: You gain a batch of temporary hit points equal to the maximum from one of your recoveries; you do not actually expend a recovery in casting this spell. These temporary hit points are only of use against physical and poison damage; all other forms of damage are dealt directly to your regular hit points as normal. Additionally, you have Vulnerability (Acid and Lightning) as long as you have any of these temporary hit points remaining.5th level spell You gain an additional 10 temporary hit points7th level spell You gain an additional 25 temporary hit points9th level spell You gain an additional 45 temporary hit pointsChampion Feat: Steel Skin no longer imposes Vulnerability (Acid and Lightning) on you.Epic Feat: You now have Resistance (Physical) 14 as long as Steel Skin remains in effect.

Under your augmented sight, the weak points of the enemy are clear to see.Ranged spellDailyTarget: 1 nearby enemyAttack: Intelligence + Level vs MDHit: The target becomes Vulnerable to Physical damage and one type of elemental damage of your choice for the remainder of the battle.Miss: The target becomes Vulnerable as above, but the effect is (save ends) instead of the remainder of the battle.

Earth Enchantments

You draw nearby energy into yourself, struggling to contain the power as you earth it away into the arcane weave.Ranged spellDailyTarget: 1d6 nearby allies and enemies (including yourself if you wish)Effect: You may strip off a single condition off each target, or the benefits of a single spell that a given target is receiving; this ends the conditions and benefits immediately. You suffer 5 lightning damage for each condition or beneficial spell earthed in this way. You may then attempt to recharge a single daily or cyclic spell that you have expended on a roll of 18+, with a +1 bonus for each condition or spell that Earth Enchantments ended.